Display apparatus.



No. 876,089. PATENTED JAN. 7, 1908. A..D. PHILLIPS.

DISPLAY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18,.1907.

minin- Af/omeys run NORRIS PETERS cm. WASHINGTON, v. c.

ALBERT I). PHILLIPS, OF 'WAYN ICS'BURG, PEN NSY [IVANLM DISPLAY APPARATUS.

Application filed May 18.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, ALBERT l). PHILLIPS,

a citizen of the United States of America, resldlng at l/Vaynesburg, 1n the county cl" Greene and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to display apparatus especially designed for the display of laces, ribbons and like articles of merchandise which are ordinarily wound upon a supporting nucleus of wood or card board.

The primary object of the invention is, to provide simple and inexpensive means for unwinding laces or other material from the support upon which they are wound and rewinding the same upon spools.

A further object of the invention is, to provide a rack of novel construction upon which said spools are removably and revolubly supported.

The construction of the improvement will be fully described hereinafter, in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, and its features of novelty will be set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a rack forming a part of the invention, Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of a winding frame for transferring the merchandise from its center support to the spools of the rack, Fig. 3 is a similar view of an unwinding frame constituting a part of the apparatus, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the spool supporting and retaining hangers, and, Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of one of the rack spools.

The frame of the rack consists of parallel equi-distant vertical bars 1 connected at top and bottom by horizontal bars 2. The vertical bars 1 are recessed to receive metallic hangers each comprising parallel sides 3 formed at their ends with slots 4, and a front late 5 longitudinally slotted to receive a i'lat spring 6 secured at its lower end by a screw 7, extending into the frame bar. As shown in Fig. 1 these hangers are arranged in horizontal rows, and are secured in position by screws 8 extending through openings 9 in the front plates 5.

Each of the spools 10 is mounted upon a Wire 11 extending through the axial center of the spool and projecting beyond the ends Specification of Letters Patent.

1907- Serial No. 374.378.

Patented Jan. '7, 1908.

1' thereof to provide journals 12 which have bearing in the slots 1' of the hangers. These axial supports are keyed or otherwise secured to the spools to turn therewith.

In Fig. 2 is shown a winding device adapted for use in com'iection with the rack above described, and comprising parallel vertical arms 13 and 14, connected at their low'er ends by a transve 'se bar 15 from which depends a clamp 16 having a thumb screw 17 extending through a threaded opening in the lower arm of the clamp to securely clamp the device to the edge of a table 18 or like support.

vided with an open ended curved slot 19 to receive one of the journals of the spool and the other arm 14 of said frame is formed with a circular opening 20 to receive the other journal of the spool and also to permit of the insertion of the hollow end 21 of a crank handle '22 for revolving the spool.

In connection with the winding device and rack I employ an umvinding frame comprising parallel vertical arms 23 and 24 (see Fig. 3) connected at their lower ends by an adjustable cross-bar consisting of an arm 25 projecting at right. angles from the vertical arm 23 and formed on its upper side with a dove tail groove 26, and a tongue 27 projecting at right angles from the vertical arm 24 and corresponding in cross section to that of the groove 26. The adjustability of the unwinding frame adapts it for use with rolls of different length. Depending from the grooved arm 25 .is a clamp 16" having a thumb screw l7 for the attaelnnent of the device to a suitable support.

Extending through horizontally alined openings formed in the vertical arms 1.3 and 24 are revoluble pins 27, each carrying at its end a block 28. These blocks are longitudinally grooved on their confronting faces 29 to adapt them to receive the ends of the board or block upon which the merchandise is originally wound at the factory and the blocks 28 are also longitudinallyslotted at one side to receive adjustable thumb screws 30, for securing the block or board in place.

The utility and operation of the improved apparatus will be readily understood. The original roll of merchandise is placed in position upon the unwinding frame shown in Fig. .3, and one of the spools 10 is placed in position upon the winding frame. The crank 22 is then fitted upon the end of the axial support 11 of the spool, and the merchandise is The arm 13 of the winding frame is prounwound from the original roll and wound upon the spool, after which the spool is placed in position upon the display rack.

It will be apparent that any one of the spools maybe readily removed from the rack, and as quickly replaced thereon, and also that the material wound upon the spools may be easily unwound without removing the spools as the latter will freely revolve in the bearings 4, their axles 11 being retained in position by the pressure of the springs 6 upon the wire 11 of the spools and prevents independent movement of the same.

The improvement provides a useful and convenient accessory for dry-goods and millinery establishments, as it avoids the necessity of handling the more or less bulky original packages of merchandise, and also serve to display a variety of goods within a small space.

An important feature of my invention is that by preventing independent movement of the spools, the spools cannot unwind by their own weight.

Another novel and important feature of the invention is that the rack can be sus pended from a ceiling over a counter so that it takes up no floor or counter space whatever.

I would have it understood that the invention includes all such changes and modifications in the details of construction of the several parts of the apparatus, as may fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having fully described myinvention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pattent, is,

In'a display apparatus, the combination of a supporting frame comprising parallel bars each provided with a plurality of recesses, hangers fitted in said recesses and having bearings, said hangers provided in their outer faces with slots, springs carried by said hangers and projecting into the slots thereof, and spools having axles seated in the bearings of said hangers and held therein by said springs.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT D. PHILLIPS.

Witnesses:

S. M. SMITH, M. R. TRAVIS. 

